Monday, November 23, 2009

Holiday Shopping Online....

I love being able to sit in my jammies with a cup of coffee and do my christmas shopping! The only problem is making sure I am looking for everyone else on my list... and not making my own list for Santa! I did see these though and had to share!Ben Sherman Vixen

how about some fun shoes for the holidays??? If I could only figure out how to walk in a 3" heel!

I'd love to hear what your favorite sites are for online holiday shopping!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

The Doodle Police

Help! talking to my daughter tonight at bedtime I learned about the doodle police... think 1984... Orwell... mind control ...Yikes! Apparently in her science class at school they are required to take the Doodling Police Pledge at the beginning of the school year....yep, just learning about this now!

So... the jist of it is ... something like this....right hand on heart, left hand in air " I promise to be a doodle police and watch for people ... even my best friends ... doodling. I will tell the teacher if I see anyone doodling on anything. I also will not doodle"

I am in shock... speechless ... has this teacher not read the current literature on doodling... does she not know about Gardner and Multiple Intelligences??? I decided to google doodling and learning styles to see what I might find... pages of information SUPPORTING doodling!

How often do you find yourself receiving confused looks as you mindlessly doodle through an important meeting?

Doodling is often seen as an irrelevant act with no strategic value making the doodler appear disinterested in the task at hand. However for many with pen and paper at hand it is an unavoidable habit. A recent study by Jackie Andrade from the University of Plymouth has concluded that the act of doodling can improve information recall.

The study recruited participants without prior warning who had just attended another unrelated session. It was assumed they would be in a heightened state of boredom due to an implied expectation of going home.

Participants were then asked to listen to a tape they were told was boring. They were told not to remember anything but to write down the names of those attending the party (as discussed in the tape). Half of participants were told to colour in doodles while the other half were instructed to not doodle. Those in the doodle group recalled 29% more information on a surprise memory test than the non-doodlers.

The conclusion was made that doodling can aid in keeping the brain alert in seemingly boring situations allowing greater information retention while those who do not doodle are more likely to drift off in other ways taking concentration away from the task at hand.

Doodling takes little energy and allows your brain to maintain concentration for more important issues.

So next time you’re in a meeting and you find yourself nodding off, doodle

help! How would you approach a teacher with this approach to teaching??? I'd love any advice you have!